Call Climate embraces electricity savings of solar panels

Few people have ever watched their electricity meter run backwards. Scott Call of Kaysville is one of those few. The cause of this phenomenon can be seen if you look up to his roof: 16 solar panels.

Call, the manager of Call Climate in Centerville, installed the solar panels one month ago. To date, these solar panels have produced 181 KWh of energy, and this in winter weather with very few full-sun days. According to Call, on April 6, a partly sunny day last week, his solar panels produced 18.5 KWh. The average daily usage in his home is 21 KWh.

The solar power system that Call has installed in his home is the product of a partnership between two companies: Westinghouse (the manufacturer of the solar panels) and Lennox (the manufacturer of the air conditioner). Call explained that the panels feed power directly to his air conditioner, which is the largest energy-consuming household appliance. If more power is supplied than the air conditioner needs, the energy then feeds into the rest of his home’s energy demands. And if more power is supplied than his home needs, the energy then feeds back into the city’s power grid, and his home’s electricity meter runs backwards.

“Everyone needs to do their part in being energy-conscious,” said Call, “I think panels are the way of the future. As more people use them, it will help this world stay a little greener and last a little longer.”

In addition, Call said that he likes to experiment with the Lennox products he sells at his business. He likes to be able to “tell customers how and why their purchases will affect their homes. These solar panels are an investment in their homes and in their futures.” Call also believes that offering the solar panel/energy-efficient products sets him apart from others in the industry, a smart move given that “the cost of energy is going only one direction…up.”

As Lennox introduced their solar panel-powered air conditioners, Call responded by taking two courses at Salt Lake Community College in solar photo voltaics. These courses, along with a few solar panel system installations, qualify Call to take the national NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) examination and become a certified solar panel installer.

The cost of a solar power system can range anywhere from $4,150 for two panels to be installed, to about $24,000 for a system that would supply all the electricity needs of a home. Call said that his company can design a system for each home based upon the energy bills over the past year and the average usage per day. To make a solar panel system even more affordable, there are state and federal tax credits. For example, the $4,150 cost of two solar panels would qualify for $1,400 in combined tax credits from the state and federal governments.

Each utility company has its own net metering agreement with solar panel owners. In Kaysville, the city’s power company installs a bi-directional meter that allows for excess power to be supplied back into the city’s power grid.

Call praises Lennox for “helping people save energy and money on the biggest energy consumer in their homes—their air conditioners. They are doing a wonderful job in their engineering to make them (the solar power systems) safe and easy to install.” And the only maintenance required is a cleaning once every couple of months to keep them working at their most efficient peaks.

With the purchase of a solar panel system comes the ability to view online at any given time, each panel’s individual energy production as well as a monthly and cumulative energy production analysis. On a cloudy day, Call said that his panels provide 30 percent to 40 percent of his household’s energy usage. And on a sunny day, they provide 75 percent or more.